KENNY DALGLISH reckons Celtic need a rub of the green and to show perseverance if they are to get their rewards in the Champions League.
The Hoops goalscoring great has kept an eye on his old club’s exploits in Europe’s elite competition this season which sees them bottom of Group E after back-to-back defeats against Feyenoord in Rotterdam and 2-1 to Lazio at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers’ men could make a reasonable argument about being on the receiving end of snarls from Dame Fortune in both encounters. And Dalglish agrees, stating that the match official in the first game was “out of order.”
SEEING RED…Gustaf Lagerbielke tussles with Feyenoord’s Igor Paixao before getting his marching orders.
SEEING RED…Odin Holm is banished after a challenge on Feyenoord’s Mats Wieffer. Callum McGregor pleads his team-mates’s case to no avail.
Against the Dutch, the Hoops were holding their own until they were undone by a free-kick goal two minutes into first-half stoppage-time.
Their cause was not helped by ropey Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto when he red-carded two Celts in the space of six second-half minutes with Gustaf Lagebielke and Odin Holm banished before the home side capitalised with a second goal in the 76th minute.
Unfortunately, there was no change in luck in the next game against Serie A opposition when Luis Palma’s 81st-minute strike which would have made it 2-1 to the hosts was ruled out by Lithuanian match official Donates Rumsas following an offside intervention by VAR.
To continue the disappointing trend, Pedro headed in the winner for the Italian side deep in stoppage-time.
Dalglish said: “They were a wee bit unlucky against Lazio. To lose one right in the last minute was disappointing, but that’s the level you are playing at.
HAPPY DAYS – FOR A MOMENT…Luis Palma celebrates what everyone thought was a second goal against Lazio. VAR thought otherwise and it was ruled out for offside.
“The goal that was chopped off, he was offside, but it’s a fraction. Daizen Maeda just touched it. If he misses it still goes to the same place and the boys still puts it in. But that’s what it’s all about.
“It’s fine margins everywhere and they’ve got no points.”
Dalglish, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “Celtic had a problem trying to get a team out for the first one at Feyenoord, but I thought the referee was out of order. I didn’t think it was one of his better performances.
“Last year against Real Madrid, they hit the bar and the post in the first-half. They were flying. They never had anything left come the hour and they got the better of them. It was the same in Leipzig.
“If they can last the hour in the game and then keep going with the quality that they have, eventually they are going to get a result.
“Whether it will be this year or not, I don’t know. But they have left themselves with a bit to do. They’ve got to get themselves at least into the Europa League.”
